When I Started a Volunteer Nursing Service, All the Beautiful Girls in My Class Suddenly Became Gloomy - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Overnight Stay

After Mizuse finished eating the omelette rice, she lay back down on the sofa.

“You’ll catch a cold like that.”

I warned her, but

“I’m already sick so it’s fine.”

Mizuse said while kicking her legs around.

Oh yeah, that’s true.

But I can’t just leave her like this.

I grabbed the blanket from the corner of the sofa and put it over her.

“You’re a girl, so take care of your body.”

“Eh, you’re not gonna attack me?”

“I’m not.”

When I answered, Mizuse burst out laughing.

She looked like she was having fun.

I really… can’t read what Mizuse is thinking.

“…Hey, Yu-kun.”

Mizuse wrapped herself in the blanket and looked up at me.

“Yeah?”

“You’re really different, huh.”

“There you go again.”

“‘Cause normal guys are more like… mufufu, you know?”

“What do you mean mufufu?”

“Like, you know…”

Mizuse wiggled around inside the blanket and grinned.

“We’re alone together~? And I’m in pajamas~?”

“I’m just being careful because you’re sick.”

“Muu…”

For some reason she puffed out her cheeks like she was unhappy.

This girl really shows her feelings all over the place.

“But you know.”

“Yeah?”

“You really see me as a girl, right.”

“…Eh?”

Her unexpected words made me ask again without thinking.

Mizuse kept looking up at the ceiling and gave a small laugh.

“You know how there are two types of guys?”

“Two types?”

“Guys who are super obvious about wanting something, or the ones who act like ‘I’m cool for not treating girls special.'”

“Never heard that way of splitting them before.”

“But you’re neither of those.”

Her eyes peeking out from the blanket stared right at me.

“You worry about me properly, you’re kind, but it doesn’t feel weird.”

“…I think I’m just normal.”

“That’s what’s hard~”

Mizuse said that and smiled softly.

But the next moment.

“…Cough, cough.”

She started coughing like it hurt.

“You okay?”

When I got closer, Mizuse stuck her hand out from under the blanket.

“…Yu-kun.”

“Yeah?”

“Pat my head just a little.”

“Eh.”

“It feels like it’ll make me feel better.”

She said it with eyes watery from the fever.

I couldn’t say no.

“…Just a little, okay.”

I gently put my hand on her head, and Mizuse narrowed her eyes like it felt good.

“…Hehe.”

Her smile wasn’t the energetic one from before.

It was quieter, like she felt totally safe.

Right now Mizuse probably thinks she doesn’t have to force herself to be cheerful.

Thinking that made something warm in my chest.

“I’m gonna head home soon.”

I had stayed with her while she napped, and before I knew it the time had passed eleven.

“Ehh…”

When I stood up, Mizuse let out an unhappy voice from under the blanket.

“Even if you make that sound, I’m going home.”

“No.”

She answered right away.

“Look, even if you say no…”

“But…”

Mizuse wiggled and pulled the blanket up while staring at me.

Her face looked a bit weaker than before.

Her eyes were watery from the fever.

“I’ll be alone again…”

Her voice didn’t have that light tone from earlier.

It was quiet and small.

So I had a hard time answering.

“But it’s already late at night.”

“…Stay over.”

“Eh?”

“I want you to sleep with me…”

I froze without thinking.

Mizuse must have gotten embarrassed after she said it, because she pulled the blanket up to her nose.

“…No good?”

“N-not no good, but…!”

A guy staying over at a girl who lives alone.

That already feels pretty bad.

Plus, sleep together?

“Mizuse, isn’t the fever messing up how you think?”

“It might be~…”

She smiled weakly.

She didn’t deny it.

“But you know.”

Mizuse gripped the blanket tight and whispered.

“When the lights go out and I’m alone, it’s a little scary.”

That moment.

I lost my words for a second.

It wasn’t her usual bright way.

She wasn’t forcing her energy up either.

I thought she really felt anxious.

“…I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

Before I knew it, those words came out of my mouth.

“Really!?”

Mizuse’s face lit up right away.

The change was so easy to see that I smiled awkwardly.

“But you have to actually sleep, okay.”

“Yeah!”

Right after her energetic reply,

“Cough, cough…”

“That’s why I said don’t force yourself to talk.”

“Hehe…”

She laughed happily and wiggled around under the blanket.

Then.

“Okay Yu-kun, come here.”

“…Why?”

“Carry me to the bed?”

Good grief.

My pace is totally thrown off.

Looks like when it’s Mizuse, I won’t get a chance to use the lines I practiced.

She makes requests before I can even say anything.

“Ehhhhh!?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Princess carry…”

“Hm? What?”

When I picked Mizuse up, she was mumbling something.

“Fwaa…”

“What kind of sound is that?”

“My fever might be going up…”

I touched her forehead like she said, and it felt hotter than before.

She really had been pushing herself.

Her face was red too, so I needed to get her in bed quick.

“Is it okay if I go into your room?”

“Yeah… but…”

Mizuse buried her face near my neck and whispered.

“It’s a little messy… don’t be put off, okay…?”

“At this point I won’t get put off by something like that.”

“Really…?”

“Really.”

When I said that, Mizuse smiled weakly like she felt relieved.

“Hehe… good…”

Because of the fever, she was way more honest than usual.

Plus, since I was carrying her, we were really close.

A sweet smell floated up, and her soft hair tickled my chin.

…Bad for my heart.

“Yu-kun.”

“Yeah?”

“You know.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I’ve kinda always wanted something like this.”

“Like this?”

“Having someone by my side when I catch a cold.”

Her voice didn’t sound jokey like before.

It was quiet and weak, like it was melting from the fever.

“I have friends, but”

Mizuse gripped my shirt tight.

“At night everyone goes home.”

Those words made my chest feel a little heavy.

Even if it’s lively during the day, a room where you live alone gets quiet at night.

It was probably the same as when I caught a cold back in April.

“…So thank you for today.”

When I said that,

“What’s that about…”

Mizuse let out a small laugh.

“You’re the one doing the nursing, but you’re saying thanks~…”

“Is it weird?”

“A little weird.”

While she said that, Mizuse narrowed her eyes sleepily.

“But I might like that part about you…”

She mumbled it again in a voice so soft I almost couldn’t hear.

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↓↓↓

“Hey, Yu-kun…”

“Yeah?”

“I just called your name~”

“Go to sleep already.”

“Okaaay!”

“…You don’t have to salute.”